China wins Identity V gold at Asian Games, Mu Xinyue becomes first woman esports medalist

China claimed the Identity V team gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games by defeating Japan in a closely fought final. The victory marked a watershed moment for women in competitive gaming: team member Mu Xinyue became the first woman to win an esports gold medal at the Asian Games.

Identity V is a 1v4 asymmetrical survival game where four players compete as survivors against a single hunter. Teams switch roles throughout the match, with points awarded for survivors who escape and hunters who secure eliminations.

The final opened with tight competition, with the first two rounds ending 4-4 and 5-5. China pulled ahead with a 7-2 victory in the third round, but Japan remained competitive with a 4-4 tie in the fourth. A network-cable issue suspended play for nearly 30 minutes during that round. After play resumed, China secured the result in the decisive fifth round by taking a 3-1 lead in the first half.

China's roster included hunters Shi Xiangwei and Sun Le, alongside survivors Lu Shujia, Chen Mingming, Lu Yahui, Fan Siqi and Mu, who competed under the in-game ID Tao Wan'an. According to Xinhua, Mu remained calm during the technical stoppage and waited for referees and organisers to decide how play would resume.

Mu was the only woman in China's esports delegation at the Games. Registration figures reported by Xinhua showed more than 500 esports athletes competing, with only 14 women. South Korea's Park So-yeon also made history as the first woman to represent the country's national esports team at the event.

Esports became an official medal sport at the Asian Games in Hangzhou 2023 after appearing as a demonstration event at Jakarta 2018. Mu's gold medal win as part of a mixed-gender roster sets a benchmark for representation at future editions of the Games.